The Lahore High Court on Monday allowed Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) to publish textbooks of class 2, 3,4 and 5.
The court withdrew its earlier restraining order issued in this regard.
LHC Chief Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan passed these orders while hearing a petition filed by Ali Brothers and other publishers.
During the hearing, PCTB Managing Director Nawazish Ali submitted manuscript record of textbooks, their final approval and agreements with publishers in response to earlier court orders. He assured the court that all books would be published in accordance with regulated procedure and rules.
He pleaded the court to withdraw restraining orders as new academic year was being started and if the books were not published on time then it would create difficulty for students.
The PCTB’s counsel also requested the court to allow publishing of class 2,3,4 and 5 textbooks, adding that the petitioner-publishers had filed the petition on baseless allegations.
However, petitioners’ counsel Saad Rasool submitted that the board was not following the regulated process for printing and publishing of textbooks.
The court after hearing arguments of all parties withdrew the restraining orders and allowed the board to publish textbooks of class 2, 3, 4 and 5 while adjourning the further hearing.
It is pertinent to mention that the court had already withdrawn stay order on publishing of various textbooks for Class 1 and 8.
The petitioners through their petition submitted that the board was not following the regulated process for printing and publishing of textbooks and various textbooks for class I,2,3,4,5,8 had been sent for publishing without getting final approval from Manuscript Review Committee.
They said that it was the reason that a wrong map was got published in grade 8th geography book and Seraikistan and Hazara were depicted as new provinces.
They said that if such mistakes were not rectified in the textbooks then it would affect the children in negative manner.